Local

While South Carolina’s jobless rate declined slightly in November, Lancaster County’s rate increased slightly during the period.
The county’s jobless rate increased to 15.0 percent in November, up from 14.2 percent in October, according to figures released Friday from the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce.
Lancaster County ranked 10th in the state in unemployment in November.
Marion County had the highest jobless rate in the state – 19.0 percent in November.

Jaylen Jackson would have celebrated her fourth birthday on Thursday.
The young girl was caught in the crossfire of a gunfight earlier this year at an Athena Road trailer park, becoming by far Lancaster County’s youngest murder victim of 2010.
Now, on her special day, the community will remember Jaylen and other locals who lost their lives because of violent crime.

From release
Dr. John Griffin will have another book presentation at the Lancaster County Library in Lancaster at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
This presentation will concern his new book, “Silent Heroes: Lancaster County in the Civil War.” Griffin will sell and sign copies of the book after the presentation. The book sells for $29.

Think old, not new.
That may not be the way you typically think when buying gifts.
But that’s the way the owners of antique and collectible stores and consignment shops would like for you to think when you’re shopping for gifts for Christmas or at any other time during the year.
If you think old instead of new, a good place to shop in Lancaster County is along U.S. 521, south of Lancaster.

With a bang of the gavel Monday night, the Rev. Ricky Cope’s church received the green light to continue its renovations.
Cope, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church, has attended every Lancaster County Council meeting for the last two months hoping to gain approval to keep work going on his church, which is relocating from Fort Mill to a former Van Wyck cabinet shop along Steele Hill Road.

Authorities are searching for the men involved in three armed robberies and one attempted robbery earlier this week.
Two armed robberies occurred at convenience stores, as did the attempted robbery. One man was held up by a robber as he was leaving his home, a report said.
Deputies responded to reports of an armed robbery at the AMPM Gas & Grill, 1553 Lynwood Dr., on Monday. A store employee told deputies that a man walked into the store about 10 p.m., pulled out a handgun and demanded money.

A fast-moving low-pressure system out of the Mississippi River Valley brought freezing rain to Lancaster County on Thursday morning that caused havoc for drivers on county roads.
National Weather Service meteorologist Shawn Smith said the area was under a winter weather advisory until 10 a.m. Smith said the freezing rain was the result of precipitation, several days of cold weather and cold air extending to high altitudes.

Two homes were destroyed in separate fires only hours apart over the weekend.
A Lancaster man told Lancaster County deputies that he and his family returned home from eating dinner late Saturday night when they noticed fire coming from the roof of his house at 958 Rock Hill Highway.
He immediately called the fire department and then ran to the back of his house in an attempt to turn off the house’s main breaker, an incident report said.
Zion, Van Wyck and Riverside volunteer fire departments responded to the scene.

The local Habitat for Humanity still needs help to try to match a generous pledge before the end of the year.
More than a month ago, an anonymous local donor told Habitat for Humanity that he would donate $10,000 to the organization, just as long as the group can raise the same amount through donations.
The goal has not been met yet, said Habitat board president Doris Hood. She wouldn’t say how much has been raised thus far.
Dec. 31 is the last day to donate to this particular effort.

Water gushed onto several county roads early Tuesday morning after someone opened the valves on at least five fire hydrants.
Deputies responded to the Foxbrook Circle area at 1:20 p.m. Tuesday because of a report of water leaking into the roadway.
A nearby resident told the deputy she had seen a man next to the hydrant with a wrench in his hand. After seeing her, the man got into a dark colored car, which had four fog lamps on its roof, and left the scene.